150 Volunteers Needed for Iskandar Johor Open
Catch the action from the best seat in the house
JOHOR BAHRU(Thursday, 10th September 2009): Golf enthusiasts interested in experiencing the thrill of golfing action from inside the ropes are urged to sign up as volunteers and marshals for the third annual Iskandar Johor Open, taking place from 22 – 25 October, 2009 at the Royal Johor Country Club.
The Johor Golf Association (JGA), organizer of the Championship, requires over 150 volunteers to fill a wide variety of roles, from marshals and walking scorers, to scoreboard carriers and leader-board operators at the star-studded Asian Tour sanctioned event.
"The Iskandar Johor Open has been playing a pivotal role in establishing Johor as a golfing destination in the region and to achieve this, we need the support of the local community," said Manjit Majid Abdullah, tournament Organising Secretary.
Chief Marshal, Benny Yaw, who has taken up the task of coordinating volunteers since the inaugural Iskandar Johor Open in 2007, says that the rewards for volunteering far outweigh the hard work.
"This is a very special privilege. Being a marshal gives you the fantastic opportunity to be up close and personal with the golfers and allows you to catch the action from an unrivalled position on the golf course. These are the best VIP seats in the house!"
The US$ 1 million dollar event will be showcasing their best line up this year after the recent announcement that defending champion and two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen and Korean KJ Choi will be coming to Johor.
In addition to receiving full training, volunteers will also be provided with four meals a day at the volunteers’ headquarters and a complimentary round of golf after the event. Official Apparel sponsor TaylorMade adidas Golf, a keen supporter of the tournament, will provide the Volunteers with TaylorMade adidas Golf polo-t, cap and umbrella.
"We want to encourage all golfing enthusiasts, university students and anyone who is keen to work behind the scenes to sign up as a volunteer. Whilst knowledge of golf is not necessary, we do require someone with passion and enthusiasm. We will need a minimum commitment of two days so that volunteers and marshals have time to get used to the task on hand," Yaw added.
One of the keys to the success of the volunteer programme last year was the participation of students from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
"The students had a great time being part of this world-class tournament. Some of them were so inspired that they decided to take up golf! It was very good for the students to be exposed to various events and happenings in Johor and having them involved in the Iskandar Johor Open gave them a glimpse of life outside the classroom," Abdullah commented.
"I was helping out as a walking scorer last year with some friends and it was a great way to spend my weekend. I was just 5 feet away from Retief Goosen and it was just amazing seeing him in action right in front of me! I was even captured on TV which was really something. All of us had a really good time and we will be coming back for more this year," said Loh Su Wen, a volunteer in 2008.
Volunteers can contact IJO 2009 chief marshal Benny Yaw at +6012-7788999 or via email at sky.bennyyaw@yahoo.com for registration.
IJO 2009 will once again be broadcast live over ESPN STAR Sports, reaching out to over 120 million homes around the world.
The main sponsor of the Iskandar Johor Open is the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA). It is also supported by platinum sponsor - UEM Land Berhad, the master developer of Nusajaya which is a key driver of Iskandar Malaysia. Other co-sponsors include Iskandar Waterfront Development and UM Land. Official partners are TaylorMade Adidas Golf, 100 Plus, Srixon, Winston Wine, Dewars, Ricoh and the Puteri Pacific Hotel.
Up to 156 elite golfers from around the region will form part of the starting fields this year including homegrown pros Kuala Lumpur born Airil Rizman and Sabahan Ben Leong. Rizman and Leong will be joined by 18 Malaysian professionals, who will use the IJO as an opportunity to showcase their talent on an international level and take advantage of the support from the home crowd.
Admission is free.
News and updates on the tournament will be available on the official IJO website – www.iskandarjohoropen.com
